This invention relates to a leaf pickup and discharge device to remove leaves from a lawn or from a pine straw (needles) area. Particularly, this invention relates to a device for removing small groups of scattered leaves on an otherwise clean lawn in order to maintain the ultimate in a clean lawn appearance.
In the prior art the range of leaf removal devices and methods goes from the ordinary hand-held lawn rake to sophisticated tractor mounted vacuuming, grinding and compacting machines. There have been attempts in the past to give manual rakes a leaf pickup feature; and, as an example of such a device reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,410 entitled xe2x80x9cRake and Tong Combinationxe2x80x9d which was granted to Walter A. Menning on Feb. 22, 1977.
Often in prior art devices a lawn mower is provided with an attachment to rake or pickup leaves. As an example of this type of device, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,731 entitled xe2x80x9cLeaf Rake Attachmentxe2x80x9d which was granted on Jan. 29, 1991 to Vito Ciancianilli, et al.
A more complex device is illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 6,263,649 entitled xe2x80x9cLeaf Gathering and Compressing Machine and Methodxe2x80x9d which issued to Thomas Gress, et al. on Jul. 24, 2001.
In the Rake and Tong Combination mentioned above and in devices similar to it there is no provision for positive securing of a leaf as the leaves must be raked together and then the rotatable tong portion must close around the leaves so they can be lifted. This requires a rather awkward holding of the tongs closed while the leaves are being transported to a receptacle. In the Leaf Rake and Attachment device and in the Leaf Gathering and Compressing devices the homeowner must get out and crank up his mower or tractor even if only a few leaves or a few scattered leaves are to be removed.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a device to remove scattered leaves from a lawn without having to use a device with a motor or engine which requires time consuming setup and unnecessary consumption of fuel.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of removing leaves from a lawn which will require little if any bending or stooping by the user.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method of removing leaves from a lawn wherein the leaves, when once picked up, remain on the pickup device with little opportunity for the leaves to be dropped on their way to a leaf collection area or to a receptacle.
These and other objects of the present invention will be more fully understood from the summary of the invention, drawings, and detailed description which follow:
In one aspect, the present invention is a leaf pickup and discharge device comprising a hand-held member having at least one leaf piercing tine for picking up leaves, and a resiliently mounted leaf removal member associated with the piercing tine for removing leaves therefrom. Thus, leaves can be picked up, held, transported, and discharged where desired. The device is readily stored and is always ready for instant use without inconvenient and time consuming preparation.
In another aspect, the present invention is a leaf pickup and discharge device including a multiplicity of parallel, substantially equal length leaf piercing tines, each having a sharp piercing end and a base end, said tines being fixedly mounted on a support plate whereby when said tines are pressed against leaves scattered on a yard surface the leaves will be pierced and remain on the tines; and a resiliently mounted member surrounding each tine for a portion of the length thereof, said member being disposed to move from a first position adjacent to the base of said tines to a second position adjacent to the piercing end of said tines whereby the movement of said member from the first position to the second position removes any leaves collected on said tines.
In yet another aspect, the present invention is a leaf pickup and discharge device comprising support plate compressing upper and lower support plates, the upper plate having upper and lower surfaces with a plurality of passageways formed therein extending from the upper to the lower surface; a plurality of rigidly mounted leaf pickup tines extending downwardly from and perpendicularly to the lower surface of said plate; a support shaft extending upwardly from the central area of the upper surface of said upper plate, said shaft being a handle for said device; a discharge plate positioned below said lower plate, said discharge plate having upper and lower surfaces, and a plurality of orifices formed therein in a pattern corresponding to the pattern of said tines, said orifices extending through said discharge plate from the upper to the lower surfaces thereof, the walls of said orifices being perpendicular to said upper and lower surfaces and being adapted to allow a corresponding tine to pass freely therethrough; discharge plate support members attached to the upper surface of said discharge plate, each support member extending through a respective one of said passageways in said plate, said member being disposed to move freely within said passageway; a sleeve slidably positioned around said shaft, said support members being fastened to said sleeve; a coil spring around said shaft located between the sleeve and said upper surface of said upper plate, said spring being compressed when said sleeve moves downwardly; a discharge lever carried at one end by a first pivot, said first pivot journal being fixedly mounted with respect to said sleeve and discharge plate, the other end of said lever being provided with a handle grip, a second pivot being located between said two ends of said lever, a connecting rod carried at one end in said second pivot and being rotatably attached to said upper support plate at the other end whereby when the handle and lever are rotated upwardly said spring is compressed, said support members forcing the discharge plate downwardly for substantially the length of the tines that are disposed in the discharge plate passageways, whereby leaves collected on said tines will be removed therefrom by the movement of the discharge plate.